Sports
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heat is on.... Normally this type of tournament is played with less enthusiasm and the more known rugby team's not taking part. Not so this year, almost all clubs were on the park and the game went on well. The standard of rugby, especially on the second day was good. CR & FC were worthy cup winners defeating the Police while Air Force took the plate and the Bowl was won by newcomers Panadura sports Club. The supporters were there to cheer their sides and enjoy a good game of rugby. The game was played in good spirit and a feature was the absence of frayed tempers, missed punches and or cards given by the referees to bring in sanity. The players and the coaches should be commended and hopefully this sense of sportsmanship will win through this season. Sevens is an enjoyable game and is expected to be played at a faster pace. As we get on with the hope of improving the sevens performance, at the international level, it is necessary that we nurture some of those smaller aspects of the game which needs to be in place. The time for stoppages should be minimized, the player injured should be replaced and play continued unless there is a serious injury. It should be left to the medics and the team physic to attend to the injured player. There should be ball pickers available and should have a ball in the centre no sooner a try is scored or the ball is kicked out away from the paddock. Little things that could be done to ensure that speed and momentum are continued, Nevertheless the western province has done well in this first tournament for 2005 with so many teams taking part. This was played without a sponsor; this should be food for thought to those in rugby circles and those who aspire to be in office next year. You have to get your house in order or else there will be no sponsors. Things as they are, there seem to be no intention to place the game before all else. Otherwise it may not recover from the depth it has fallen to. Yet the authorities that may be prefer to tread the path of confrontation and one that is brewing up is with the referee's society. The issue with the schools is yet fermenting and seems unsolved. The dog in the manger attitude seems to haunt some who seem to be sensing "sour grapes". Despite the writing on the wall being clear you would still think of having your say. Like any dying man who will try to hang on while the last breadth is drawn away. Why is it so difficult to realize " time's up man" There seem to be a controversy and head on tackle seem to be on the cards with accusations being made regard the Secretary of the Referees Society. The President of the society has stepped and called foul kicking back the ball to the side of the Union. Issues on hand commenced with a confrontation on tsunami assistance which the hierarchy informs must be after first seeking their permission. While this is current a new issue has surfaced with the union issuing a statement that the referees had no business to collect the money due to referees from the schools. The referees allege they were forced to do it as the money collected from offering their services as well as from sponsors are used or are lost in the negative bank balances of the union. A lot of dirty linen may be washed in the near future and time will tell as to who is correct. Let us in the meantime hope and pray that there might not be recourse to a legal remedy as happened in the recent past. The heat is on and the aspirants for responsibility in the council are known. Let the best assume office and contribute to make this game a worthwhile sport to be talked of and be an example to society as it has been in the past. Ekanayake translated means one leader. May it be so in the year to come, as the others rally around because they accept you as their leader but not for the reason that you hold office and there is little they can do till your term is over. |
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